Bulldogs' baseball player arrested
Georgia baseball player Matt Cerione was arrested early Saturday morning and charged with underage possession of alcohol, open container, unlawful use of identification and littering.

Winder Housing Authority settles discrimination suit
The Winder Housing Authority has agreed to pay $490,000 in fines after an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice found that the authority violated the Fair Housing Act by discriminating against black applicants.

Bulldogs' baseball player arrested
Georgia baseball player Matt Cerione was arrested early Saturday morning and charged with underage possession of alcohol, open container, unlawful use of identification and littering.

Traffic stop yields arrest for cocaine
An Athens-Clarke police officer pulled over a 1984 brown Camaro because the driver wasn't wearing a seat belt, but arrested the man because he had five bags of powder cocaine in his pocket.

Old classmate sets up man for robbery
A Commerce man bought a beer in downtown Athens for a former Clarke Central High School classmate, who then set him up for a robbery, according to Athens-Clarke police.

Burglary attempt targets UGA officer
A mistaken man apparently tried to break into the wrong home - the apartment of a University of Georgia police officer and his wife, according to Athens-Clarke County police.

Sisters complain about house mother
Gamma Phi Beta sorority complained to Athens-Clarke police that the former house mother for the group used a sorority credit card to charge more than $10,000 in personal goods.

Firearms taken in home break-in
Three roommates reported their home in the 130 block of Grove Street was burglarized between 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and 2 a.m. Thursday.

Video camera taken on Winterville Road
A burglar pushed in the air conditioner unit of a home in the 2300 block of Winterville Road and stole a video camera valued at $1,300, Athens-Clarke police said.

Vacuum stolen from car wash
A thief made off with a stainless steel vacuum bolted to a concrete base at Mitchell Bridge Car Wash, 110 Mitchell Bridge Road.

Wicker furniture taken from porch
A woman who lives in the 600 block of Cobb Street discovered around noon Thursday that someone stole the wicker furniture off her porch, Athens-Clarke police said. The chair and sofa were worth $1,200.

Laptop stolen in home burglary
A thief slipped into a house in the 100 block of Loblolly Drive between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. Thursday, through either a front window or the back door. A laptop valued at $1,000 and a DVD were stolen, Athens-Clarke police said.

Neighbor reports house burglary
A Churchill Circle resident called police when he noticed someone pried open his neighbors' front door between 1 and 3 p.m. Wednesday.

Daunting task awaits Jones
Vickie Jones got the scouting report on Alabama's mammoth nose tackle Terrence Cody at her home in Brent, Ala., long before her son Ben received his from Georgia's offensive coaches.

Ole Miss stuns Gators in The Swamp
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Houston Nutt needed just five games to get a signature win at Mississippi. Jevan Snead threw two touchdown passes, ran for another score and led the Rebels to a stunning 31-30 victory at No. 4 Florida on Saturday.

Notebook: Wearing black part of Justice Thomas' job
Before Justice Clarence Thomas puts on his black robe a week from Monday when the U.S. Supreme Court returns to session, he is expected to attend Saturday's Georgia "blackout" game against Alabama in Sanford Stadium.

Quick Snap: Alabama vs. Georgia
A quick look at probable starting lineups, broadcast information and other quick facts about tonight's game between the hedges.

Blackout, ESPN GameDay, rankings add to Tide-Bulldogs hype
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Any SEC game mixes the spices necessary for an eye-watering bowl of chili — blue-ribbon football and maniac fans. A clash at the top of the conference standings adds a helping of jalapeños that cleanses the sinuses.

No. 1 USC falls, 27-21 to Oregon State
CORVALLIS, Ore. — Freshman Jacquizz Rodgers ran for 186 yards and two touchdowns and Oregon State built an early lead and held on for a 27-21 upset victory over top-ranked Southern California on Thursday night.

Ching: Future bright for Tide; present brighter for Dogs
For an average game, any one of this week's developments would be the obvious storyline.Throughout the week leading up to tonight's meeting between Georgia and Alabama, we've discussed fan blackouts, ESPN GameDay's first visit in a decade, Georgia announcer Larry Munson's retirement, coaches' one-liners and Supreme Court justices who will be in attendance.

Spurrier to start Smelley
COLUMBIA, S.C. - South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said Chris Smelley will start at quarterback this week, though backup Steven Garcia will see action in the first quarter against UAB Saturday.

Upsets of Trojans becoming common
Southern California's latest loss to a huge underdog shouldn't shock anyone. These "stunning" upsets are practically an annual tradition for the Trojans.

Brandon Glass: 'Low-life' defends bumper sticker
I'm the "low-life" referenced by the writer of the Wednesday letter headlined "No 'family values' in sticker on car." I'm an American soldier, and have been for the past five years, defending freedom of speech.

Paul Quick: Travel safety is everyone's job
As a daily bike commuter, road cyclist, board member of BikeAthens, and the owner and driver of two motor vehicles, I agree with the Wednesday letter headlined "Cyclists must respect road rules."

Bill Hale: Fan wants Bulldog chair back
I was shocked on Sunday when I arrived back home after being out of town on business to discover two white wooden rockers, one emblazoned with "Go Dawgs," stolen from my front porch.

Don Schultz: Cyclists shouldn't flout road rules
I share the views expressed in the Wednesday letter headlined "Cyclists must respect road rules." Many cyclists do flout the law in their riding on streets and sidewalks. It's been my experience that their arrogant behavior regarding right of way and stopping for lights presents a hazard to motorists.

Danny Manus: Stoplights can affect air quality
I read with interest the Athens Banner-Herald's Wednesday story headlined "Athens closing in on air-quality violations." Is it just me, or does anyone else notice how long you have to sit at some red lights before they turn green? I don't think that it used to be this way. Some lights are timed, but others are not.

Prescott, Thrasher: NBAF proponent not objective
Mike Wanner's Sept. 18 letter ("Don't pass on NBAF, Athens") shows how some proponents of the proposed National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility are willing to reveal their own investigative shortcomings in their eagerness to convince our community it would be a good thing to impose a giant federal bio-terror research facility on South Milledge Avenue between the State Botanical Garden and Whitehall Forest.

Rosemary Franklin: McCain, GOP are disingenuous
For as long as I can remember, Republicans have been characterizing Democrats as "tax-and-spend liberals." Needless to say, if Congress approves the Republican Bush administration's proposed $700 billion taxpayer-funded bailout of irresponsible financial institutions, citizens in general will be spending for years.

Greene: Stairway is a transition area
A stairway is far more than just a basic passageway from one floor to the next. Your stairs should make a smooth transition, not only from the bottom level to the top, but also from the public area of your home to the private area.

Camp: Doing unto others
The "Golden Rule" of doing unto others as you would have them do unto you is universal across the religions of the world.

Tedrow: Turf won't live under the deck
I have a deck on the back of my house which is about 12 feet off the ground. There isn't anything growing there and my house is made out of stucco and has been stained by the splashing clay. Could I plant turf or something else under the deck to prevent this? - Steve D., Athens

Co-founder of Promise Keepers returns
DENVER - Bill McCartney, the former college football coach who forged Promise Keepers into a formidable men's movement, has come out of retirement to lead the evangelical Christian group.

Athens is alive with 'The Sound of Music'
Minutes before the first dress rehearsal for "The Sound of Music" and Crystal Huau emerges from the backstage dressing rooms at the historic Morton Theatre. She is far more calm and confident than her character Maria von Trapp is at the outset of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical.

Actor Paul Newman dies
WESTPORT, Conn. - Paul Newman, the Oscar-winning superstar who personified cool as the anti-hero of such films as “Hud,” “Cool Hand Luke” and “The Color of Money” — followed by a second act as an activist, race car driver and popcorn impresario — has died. He was 83.

Actress tries on the many faces of improv
As an improv actor living in Chicago, Amy Roeder naturally tried out for the Windy City's The Second City theater, the birthplace of comics like Steve Carell, Bill Murray and Tina Fey.

People notes: Letterman keeps up assault on McCain
NEW YORK - "Late Show" host David Letterman kept up a verbal assault on John McCain Thursday, saying he felt like an "ugly date" because the GOP presidential candidate backed out of a scheduled appearance on his talk show.

People notes: DJ AM released from burn hospital
COLUMBIA, S.C. - Celebrity disc jockey DJ AM has been released from a Georgia hospital after suffering severe burns in a fiery plane crash a week ago, a spokeswoman for the musician said Friday.

Mini movie reviews
OPENING TODAY - Choke - Victor Mancini is a medical-school dropout who has devised an ingenious scam to pay elder care for his Alzheimer's-afflicted mother: he pretends to choke on pieces of food while dining in upscale restaurants. He then allows himself to be "saved" by fellow patrons who, feeling responsible for Victor's life, go on to send checks to support him.

Today's Best Bets
Union Junction Jamboree - This family-friendly festival will include arts and crafts vendors, live music, food, a train for children, a model train exhibit, and three performances of "Firefly on the Lick."

Today's Best Bets
SynAesthetic Time Machine - Canopy's aerial artists will perform as SynAesthetic Time Machine creates an improvisational, dynamic and synchronized audio-visual collage accomplished with a complex system of software, musical instruments and video equipment.

McCain, Obama join Bush in push for bailout
WASHINGTON - President Bush and the two men fighting to succeed him joined forces Thursday at a historic White House meeting on a multibillion-dollar Wall Street bailout plan, aiming to stave off a national economic disaster. Key members of Congress said they had struck a deal earlier in the day, but its future was unclear.

Debate rivals trade volleys over the war
OXFORD, Miss. - John McCain accused Barack Obama of compiling "the most liberal voting record in the United States Senate" on Friday night in their first debate of a close campaign for the White House. The Democrat shot back, "Mostly that's just me opposing George Bush's wrong-headed policies."

Talks on bailout make 'progress'
WASHINGTON - The Bush administration and Congress anxiously revived negotiations Friday on a $700 billion financial bailout, one day after the largest bank collapse in U.S. history provided a brutal reminder of the risks of failure. Democrats talked optimistically of agreement by the end of the weekend.

To debate or not: That's the debate
WASHINGTON - Prospects improved that John McCain and Barack Obama would hold their first presidential debate on Friday as Congress made progress toward an agreement with the Bush administration on a $700 billion bailout of the financial industry.

Kennedy home after rush to hospital
BOSTON - Sen. Edward Kennedy, who has brain cancer, was taken by ambulance to a hospital Friday near his Cape Cod vacation home after complaining of feeling ill but returned home a few hours later.

Pakistan says it can fight militants itself
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Pakistan sought to reassure Washington on Friday that it remained an ally in fighting terrorism, but it also warned the U.S. to stay out of Pakistani territory while hunting down militants along the volatile border with Afghanistan.

Winder Housing Authority settles discrimination suit
The Winder Housing Authority has agreed to pay $490,000 in fines after an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice found that the authority violated the Fair Housing Act by discriminating against black applicants.

Feds: Housing agency biased
The Winder Housing Authority agreed to pay $490,000 in fines Friday after an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice found that the authority violated the Fair Housing Act by discriminating against black applicants and segregating tenants by race.

Cox warns districts in school funding group
The state schools superintendent has warned dozens of local districts to think carefully before paying dues to the Consortium for Adequate School Funding in Georgia, which last week withdrew a lawsuit challenging Georgia's education funding formula.

Oconee leaders discuss power struggle
WATKINSVILLE-Three Oconee County commissioners on Thursday vented years of frustration with commission Chairman Melvin Davis' administration, and officials took what they said is a step toward resolving their complaints.

Hoschton set for a 'stampede'
HOSCHTON - Hoschton's Fall Festival organizers are expecting to attract at least double the festival's usual attendance - if you count all the blue jeans-wearing men with straw hands and milk jug faces.

Vintage plane rides available in Toccoa
Three World War II-era aircraft from the Commemorative Air Force Dixie Wing will be on display from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. next Saturday at the Currahee Military Weekend, held at Toccoa RG Letourneau Field Airport.

ABH clarification
A calendar item published Thursday on Page B4 in the “What’s Happening” column of the Athens Banner-Herald omitted that the “Homemade VII” event Sunday at Sandy Creek Nature Center is designed for Sandy Creek Nature Center members.

Rugged women in spotlight
EDGEFIELD, S.C. - The changing roles of women in the 21st century will create countless opportunities ranging from politics to hunting camps, the National Wild Turkey Federation's new national spokeswoman predicted Friday.

Ex-board member attacks Jekyll plan
BRUNSWICK - A Republican who the governor removed from the Jekyll Island Authority Board lambasted plans to redevelop the Georgia island, saying the proposed deal would be a giveaway to a politically connected developer.

Editorial: UGA makes right move on writing scores
High school students across Georgia and elsewhere who aspire to become part of the University of Georgia student body next fall and beyond should consider themselves on notice that their No. 2 pencils, to say nothing of their minds, will need to be a bit sharper when they sit down to take the SAT or ACT college entrance exams.

Tant: Bailout, war funding squanders America's future
"Wall Street Lays an Egg," blared the headline on the front page of the showbiz tabloid Variety. The stock market that had soared with the giddy post-war prosperity of the 1920s turned sour on "Black Tuesday" when America's economy took a nosedive on Oct. 29, 1929. The Great Depression had begun its march from the citadels of capitalism in New York's financial district through the farms, small towns and cities of this nation.

Wall Street crisis gives Bush a tough final act in presidency
It takes a major crisis for a lame duck president, especially one whose popularity is as low as Bush's, to take center stage during a hard-fought presidential campaign. It takes a major crisis for members of Congress, who as a group may be even less popular than the president, to find themselves still in Washington so close to Election Day, with important work to do before they can go home.

Prince Avenue, Athens Academy fill big voids under center
Taylor Clark was gasping for air. The Prince Avenue Christian quarterback had just tumbled to the ground on top of the football. Moments later, he retreated to the sideline to catch his breath. Luckily for Clark, Bobo Marshall was there to step in on the next play.

Daniel, Spartans get first region win
Just a year ago, Will Daniel was a wide-eyed and unassuming junior who stepped in after Athens Academy's starting quarterback Carter Gunn injured his shoulder in the Spartans' victory over Prince Avenue Christian.

Roundup: Spartans take first place
At Athens Academy, the Lady Spartans on Thursday took control of first place in Area 8-A/AA standings and avenged their 2007 loss in the area tournament with a 25-15, 25-10 win over North Oconee.

Gladiators victorious after five overtimes
For the kickers of both Clarke Central and Heritage, every kick must have seemed like a 65-yarder into the wind. After more than three hours of play, Gladiator quarterback John Wilson decided he would end the game himself.

Wildcats shut out Bulldogs
WINDER - A shutout loss to Clarke Central left a rancid taste in Apalachee's mouth the entire week leading into homecoming.

Dragons win, take control of region
BLAIRSVILLE - Jefferson and Union County squared off Friday to determine the kingpin of Region 8-AA and when the smoke had cleared, Jefferson stood alone at the top of the mountain.

Big, colorful flowers aren't that hard to grow
If you're a first time homeowner, listen up. If you think you can't grow fabulous flowers, read on. If past failures have made you throw your hands up and retreat from gardening in general, get ready to rumble. There's a secret to great big bold flowers.

Astros down Braves with Erstad's homer
HOUSTON - Pinch-hitter Darin Erstad hit a game-ending home run in the ninth inning to lift Houston to a 5-4 win over the Atlanta Braves on Friday night, but the Astros were still eliminated from playoff contention.

Phillies win, push magic number to 1
PHILADELPHIA - Ryan Howard hit his major league-leading 48th homer, Joe Blanton pitched six effective innings and the Philadelphia Phillies moved closer to clinching the NL East title with an 8-4 victory over the Washington Nationals on Friday night.

Kim keeps Tour lead
ATLANTA - Anthony Kim and Sergio Garcia did enough Friday at the Tour Championship to set up a Ryder Cup rematch.

Mets' rally halts skid
NEW YORK - Carlos Beltran singled home the winning run with two outs in the ninth inning and the New York Mets rallied to beat the Chicago Cubs 7-6 on Thursday night for a huge win that halted their late-season slide.

ESPN stop a highlight for UGA
There's a Bulldog fan behind the wheel of the biggest college football show in the land, but it's taken a decade for ESPN's "College GameDay" to steer back into Athens.

UGA will build new dorm
The University of Georgia will expand its East Campus Village housing complex with a 500-bed dormitory, UGA President Michael Adams said Thursday.

UGA television fare may include live music show
A commercial television station the University of Georgia bought soon could soon be airing music from downtown Athens clubs and video from what is now a radio talk show produced in Gainesville.